Pharmaprojects R&D Pipeline News Feed
Lilly enters its first Phase III trial for Alzheimer's disease
4 Apr 2008
Eli Lilly has announced that it has progressed its gamma secretase inhibitor, semagacestat (LY-450139), into a Phase III trial. This trial will be Lilly's first in Alzheimer's disease. The randomized, placebo-controlled trial (IDENTITY) will be conducted in 1500 patients in the US and 21 additional countries.
When amyloid precursor protein is cleaved by gamma secretase it produces a short 39-42 amino acid peptide called amyloid beta, whose abnormally-folded fibrillar form is the primary component of amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. By blocking gamma secretase, less amyloid beta will be formed, potentially slowing neuronal death. There is currently only one other gamma secretase inhibitor in late stage development for Alzheimer's disease, Encore Pharmaceutical's R-flurbiprofen.
Lilly's Medical Director of Alzheimer's disease, Eric Siemers highlighted the significance of this trial saying, “Currently-available medications treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease but have not been shown to change its underlying progression, creating an urgent unmet medical need.”
Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia in the over 65s, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting approximately 5 million people in the US alone. The direct and indirect costs associated with the disease in the US are estimated to be approximately US$150 billion.
